02/14/2012 -
Moscow, Russia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David Fuster scored and Roy Carroll saved a
penalty as Olympiacos kicked off the Europa League round of 32 on Tuesday with
a 1-0 win over Rubin at Luzhniki Stadium.
Fuster scored the lone goal in the 72nd minute for the Greek side, but Russian
side Rubin was on the spot just minutes later after starting goalkeeper Balazs
Megyeri was sent off for a foul on Gokdeniz Karadeniz in the area.
Carroll replaced Megyeri in goal and, with his first touch, saved the penalty
from Bebras Natcho and 10-man Olympiacos held on for the huge road win in the
first leg of the series.
Also Tuesday, Tomas Sivok and Simao scored after Braga had Helder Barbosa sent
off inside the half-hour, and Turkish squad Besiktas won at Portugal's Braga,
2-0, in the first leg of their round of 32 series.
The remainder of the final 32 series kick off Thursday, with Manchester United
at Ajax and Manchester City at FC Porto highlighting the day's action.
<< Red Wings' run bolstered by shootout
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If American author Stephen King is looking
for a setting in his next horror novel, he should base it on Joe Louis Arena.
That's because no other venue in the NHL is currently as ominous.
The Detroit Red
<< Lions sign DB Shell
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The British Columbia Lions signed defensive
back Lin-J Shell on Tuesday.
Shell has spent the last three seasons with the Toronto Argonauts (2009-2011),
racking up 222 tackles and seven interceptions in 53 g
<< Woods will play next three PGA Tour events
Jupiter, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tiger Woods announced on his web site Tuesday
that he will play the next three PGA Tour events, starting next week.
First up is the World Golf Championships - Accenture Match Play Championship,
a tournament
<< Golf Tidbits: So I was wrong about Phil & Tiger
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Was it just two weeks ago that some writer
asked whether Tiger or Phil was closer to winning?
And didn't said writer come to the conclusion that Tiger was closer?
Guilty as charged!
I'm sure Phil Mick
<< Tevez returns to City following absence
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Tevez returned to Manchester
City on Tuesday, months after leaving the club following a dispute with coach
Roberto Mancini.
Tevez and Mancini were involved in a dispute in September, when T
Top Shelf: Blue Jackets can't keep Nash forever >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With the NHL's trade deadline less than
two weeks away, the rumor mill is churning faster and faster every day. On
Monday, it finally spun out a name worth getting excited about.
For the most part, the dea
U.S. draws Ukraine in Fed Cup playoff >>
White Plains, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 2012 Fed Cup World Group
Playoffs draw was held Tuesday and the United States drew an away tie in
Ukraine that will be played April 21-22.
The U.S. needs to defeat the Ukrainians
Berlocq advances in Sao Paulo >>
Sao Paulo, Brazil (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fifth seed Carlos Berlocq was an easy
opening-round winner Tuesday at the $475,300 Brasil Open.
The Argentine Berlocq, a runner-up in Chile two weeks ago, blew past France's
Eric Prodon 6-4, 6-0 at thi
Honors Saturday for Rapid Redux and friends >>
Laurel, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Record holder Rapid Redux and his connections
will receive another honor on Saturday at one of their favorite tracks. The
Maryland Jockey Club will recognize the gelding as well as his owner Robert
Cole al
Nuggets' Nene, Mozgov out vs. Suns >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Nuggets will be without centers Nene
and Timofey Mozgov for Tuesday's game against the Suns.
Nene, who is averaging 13.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game this season,
tweaked his left calf in
NFL Football Betting Online
Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.